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Deer-Resistant Perennials

These 122 perennials are the ones deer tend to leave alone — rated A (rarely damaged) or B (seldom damaged) in Rutgers University’s deer-resistance research. Sorted most-resistant first.

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Ratings come from Rutgers University’s landscape deer-resistance research. A = rarely damaged, B = seldom severely damaged. We list only A and B here — the plants deer tend to leave alone. No plant is 100% deer-proof when browse pressure is high.

PlantBotanical nameDeer ratingZones
Anise HyssopAgastache sp.A · Rarely damaged4–10
Basket of GoldAurinia saxatilisA · Rarely damaged3–7
Bigleaf GoldenrayLigularia dentataA · Rarely damaged4–8
Bleeding HeartDicentra spectabilisA · Rarely damaged3–9
Butter & EggsLinaria vulgarisA · Rarely damaged3–9
ButtercupRanunculus sp.A · Rarely damaged4–8
CactusCactaceae sp.A · Rarely damaged4–11
CatmintNepeta sp.A · Rarely damaged3–8
Common TansyTanacetum vulgareA · Rarely damaged3–9
CorydalisCorydalis sp.A · Rarely damaged5–8
Dame's RocketHesperis matronalisA · Rarely damaged3–8
European GingerAsarum europaeumA · Rarely damaged4–8
False IndigoBaptisia australisA · Rarely damaged3–9
Forget-Me-NotMyosotis sp.A · Rarely damaged3–8
Fringed Bleeding HeartDicentra eximiaA · Rarely damaged3–9
Garden SageSalvia officinalisA · Rarely damaged4–8
GermanderTeucrium chamaedrysA · Rarely damaged5–9
Greek Jerusalem SagePhlomis sp.A · Rarely damaged5–9
HorehoundMarrubium vulgareA · Rarely damaged3–9
HorseradishArmoracia rusticanaA · Rarely damaged3–9
HyssopHyssopus officinalisA · Rarely damaged3–9
IrisIris sp.A · Rarely damaged3–9
Jack-in-the-pulpitArisaema triphylumA · Rarely damaged4–9
Lamb's EarStachys byzantinaA · Rarely damaged4–8
LavendarLavandula sp.A · Rarely damaged5–9
Lavender-CottonSantolina chamaecyparissusA · Rarely damaged6–9
Lemon BalmMelissa officinalisA · Rarely damaged3–7
Lenten or Christmas RoseHelleborus sp.A · Rarely damaged4–9
LungwortPulmonaria sp.A · Rarely damaged3–8
MarjoramMajoranaA · Rarely damaged7–11
May ApplePodophyllumA · Rarely damaged3–9
Meadow RueThalictrum sp.A · Rarely damaged4–8
MintMentha sp.A · Rarely damaged3–9
MonkshoodAconitum sp.A · Rarely damaged3–7
OreganoOriganum sp.A · Rarely damaged4–9
Ornamental OnionAllium sp.A · Rarely damaged3–9
PeonyPaeonia sp.A · Rarely damaged3–8
Potentilla, CinquefoilPotentilla sp.A · Rarely damaged3–8
Purple Rock-CressAubretia deltoideaA · Rarely damaged4–8
Rock-CressArabis caucasicaA · Rarely damaged4–7
Rocket LigulariaLigularia 'The Rocket'A · Rarely damaged4–8
Rodgers FlowerRodgersia sp.A · Rarely damaged4–7
Rose CampionLychnis coronariaA · Rarely damaged4–8
RueRuta sp.A · Rarely damaged4–9
Russian SagePerovskio atriplicifoliaA · Rarely damaged4–9
Siberian BuglossBruneria macrophylla (Brunnera)A · Rarely damaged3–8
Silver MoundArtemisia sp.A · Rarely damaged3–8
Small Globe ThistleEchinops ritroA · Rarely damaged3–9
SpurgeEuphorbia sp. (except 'Chameleon')A · Rarely damaged4–9
StaticeLimonium latifoliumA · Rarely damaged4–9
TarragonArtemisia dracunculusA · Rarely damaged4–8
Threadleaf CoreopsisCoreopsis verticillataA · Rarely damaged3–9
ThymeThymus sp.A · Rarely damaged4–9
Wild GingerAsarum canadenseA · Rarely damaged3–8
YuccaYucca filimentosaA · Rarely damaged4–11
African LilyAgapanthus sp.B · Seldom damaged7–11
AsparagusAsparagus officinalisB · Seldom damaged3–8
AsterAster sp.B · Seldom damaged3–8
AstilbeAstilbe sp.B · Seldom damaged3–8
Baby's BreathGypsophila sp.B · Seldom damaged3–9
BeebalmMonarda didymaB · Seldom damaged4–9
Black-Eyed SusanRudbeckia sp.B · Seldom damaged3–9
Blazing StarLiatris sp.B · Seldom damaged3–9
BuglossAnchusa sp.B · Seldom damaged3–8
Butterfly WeedAsclepias tuberosaB · Seldom damaged3–9
CandytuftIberis sempervirensB · Seldom damaged2–11
Cardinal FlowerLobelia sp.B · Seldom damaged3–9
Carnation, PinksDianthus sp.B · Seldom damaged3–9
ColumbineAquilegia sp.B · Seldom damaged3–8
Common YarrowAchillea millefoliumB · Seldom damaged3–9
CoralbellsHeuchera sp.B · Seldom damaged4–9
CrocosmiaCroscosmia sp.B · Seldom damaged6–9
CyclamenCyclamen sp.B · Seldom damaged5–9
DelphiniumDelphinium sp.B · Seldom damaged3–7
FeverfewChrysanthemum partheniumB · Seldom damaged4–9
Foam FlowerTiarella cordifoliaB · Seldom damaged3–8
Gas PlantDictamus albaB · Seldom damaged3–8
GoldenrodSolidago sp.B · Seldom damaged3–9
Hardy GeraniumGeranium macrorrhizumB · Seldom damaged4–8
Heartleaf BergeniaBergenia sp.B · Seldom damaged3–8
Hens and ChickensSempervivum sp.B · Seldom damaged3–8
Jacob's LadderPolemonium caeruleumB · Seldom damaged3–7
Japanese AnemoneAnemone x hybridaB · Seldom damaged4–8
Ladys' MantleAlchemilla sp.B · Seldom damaged3–8
Lance CoreopsisCoreopsis lanceolataB · Seldom damaged4–9
LupineLupinus sp.B · Seldom damaged3–8
Maltese CrossLychnis chalcedonicaB · Seldom damaged3–8
Meadow SageSalvia nemorosaB · Seldom damaged3–8
Mist FlowerEupatorium coelestinurnB · Seldom damaged5–10
MulleinVerbascum sp.B · Seldom damaged4–8
Obedient PlantPhysostegia sp.B · Seldom damaged3–9
Oriental PoppyPapaver orientaleB · Seldom damaged3–7
PatriniaPatrinia scabiosifoliaB · Seldom damaged4–8
Pincushin FlowerScabiosa caucasicaB · Seldom damaged3–7
Plume PoppyMacleaya cordataB · Seldom damaged3–8
PrimrosePrimula sp.B · Seldom damaged3–8
Purple ConeflowerEchinacea purpureaB · Seldom damaged3–9
Red-Hot PokerKniphofia tritomaB · Seldom damaged5–9
RhubarbRheum rhabarbarumB · Seldom damaged3–8
Rue AnemoneAnemonella thalictroidesB · Seldom damaged4–8
SavorySatureja montanaB · Seldom damaged5–8
Sea ThriftArmeria maritimaB · Seldom damaged3–8
Skunk CabbageSymplocarpos foetidusB · Seldom damaged3–7
Snakeroot, BugbaneCimcifuga sp.B · Seldom damaged3–8
SneezeweedHelenium autumnaleB · Seldom damaged3–8
Snow-in-SummerCerastiumB · Seldom damaged3–7
SoapwortSaponaria sp.B · Seldom damaged3–8
SpeedwellVeronica sp.B · Seldom damaged3–8
SpiderwortTradescantia sp.B · Seldom damaged4–9
St. John's WortHypericum calycinumB · Seldom damaged5–9
Stokes' AsterStokesia laevisB · Seldom damaged5–9
Swamp MilkweedAsclepias incarnataB · Seldom damaged3–9
Toad LilyTricyrtis hirtaB · Seldom damaged4–9
TrilliumTrillium sp.B · Seldom damaged4–8
Trout LilyErythroniumB · Seldom damaged3–8
VioletsViola sp.B · Seldom damaged3–9
Virginia BluebellsMertensia virginicaB · Seldom damaged3–8
White BoltoniaBoltonia asteroidesB · Seldom damaged4–9
White SnakerootEupatorium rugosumB · Seldom damaged3–7
YarrowAchillea filipendulinaB · Seldom damaged3–8
Yellow FoxgloveDigitalis grandifloraB · Seldom damaged3–8
Yellow Wax-BellsKirengeshoma palmataB · Seldom damaged5–8
Protect what you plant

Even deer-resistant plants get browsed when deer are hungry. The proven backups:

Deer repellent sprayDeer nettingMotion sprinkler

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